Tag Archives: Sarracenia

Progress

One of the things that I enjoy about keeping this blog is being able to go back, look at plants and how they progress. It’s kind of fun going through the archives and taking that walk down memory lane.

Back at the beginning of June, I wrote about the greenhouse move that I had to undergo because of the horrid conditions that the plants were growing in. I’m currently in a temporary holding location that offers slightly brighter light and the difference it is making is remarkable.

Below are photos of Sarracenia ‘Black Widow’ x flava v. rubricorpora that I grew from seed from a cross that Dr. Travis H. Wyman did back in 2008.  I photographed the same pitcher over the course of several weeks to document the color change.

In the first photo below left – this is what the plant looked like in dim conditions on 27 May 2012. After a couple weeks in the brighter location, the mouth started to color up. (Photo below right, 17 Jun 2012.)  The last photo below is a photo that I took yesterday and my hypothesis was correct – the plant is starting to color up. Keep in mind that this isn’t even direct sunlight and I can only imagine what it will be like next year when it gets started at the big location with direct light. Hoping for a deeply colored crimson plant. What a difference lighting makes!

Sarracenia 'Black Widow' x flava var. rubricorpora - 27 May 2012  Sarracenia 'Black Widow' x flava var. rubricorpora - 17 June 2012
27 May 2012                                     17 Jun 2012
Sarracenia ‘Black Widow’ x flava v. rubricorpora

Sarracenia 'Black Widow' x flava v. rubricorpora-16 Jul 2012 – Sarracenia ‘Black Widow’ x flava v. rubricorpora

I Heart Sarracenia

I HEART SARRACENIA.

Sarracenia 'Adrian Slack'Sarracenia ‘Adrian Slack’, view of lid.

Sarracenia leucophylla “Purple Lips” x flava var. ornata

Sarracenia leucophylla "Purple Lips" x flava var. ornataSarracenia leucophylla “Purple Lips” x flava var. ornata – A Phil Faulisi hybrid

Pod

Sarracenia "Blood Moon" x luteolaSarracenia “Blood Moon” x luteola

“It’s not about what it is, it’s about what it can become.”
-Dr. Seuss, The Lorax

An update on the the pod of a cross I did this year. It looks swollen and feels solid so I am very hopeful that there’s seed in there. Who really knows though until I crack it open later in the year. Sarracenia “Blood Moon” is a richly colored plant created by Brook Garcia. The parentage of S. “Blood Moon” is S. “Wilkerson’s Red Rocket” x flava var. rubricorpora.  With this cross I am hoping for a richly colored mitchelliana looking plant that has hidden anthocyanin freedom potential. I have plans to eventually use whatever comes out of this pod in more anthocyanin free  lines of Sarracenia breeding. I know it doesn’t look like much right now, but just like any plant that is to be – it has to start somewhere.

Big Mama

Sarracenia rosea "Big Mama"Sarracenia “Big Mama”

Sarracenia “Big Mama” – A select form of Sarracenia purpurea ssp. venosa v. burekii or Sarracenia rosea – depending on how much you feel like typing or talking. Well, no actually. That’s just me. You read up on that debacle here. Whatever it’s called, I know that it’s a pretty nice plant. WORD TO YO MAMA.

Hungry Youngsters

Cute they may be – but don’t let them fool you! Even the first baby pitchers come up hungry! Here’s one showing an appetite for those little irritating fungus gnats (Bradysia species). MMMMMM — Delicious!!!

Sarracenia moorei - AF

Sarracenia moorei - AF

Smurfs!

You know, I have this thing for the bizarre. (Hell, I am a little bit of strange one myself!) I mean, DUDE – I grow plants that eat things. Carnivorous plants have evolved some rather rad and fearsome idiosyncrasies and are mos’ def are not your “typical” plant. Sarracenia “Smurf” is one of those plants that fall into that freakish category within this carnivorous cartel. It is my understanding that this freak was a mutation of S. purpurea ssp. venosa v. burkii discovered in tissue culture. I know that this plant does not  appeal to many – and yo, that’s totally OK. I’ve heard comments along the lines of: “Dude, the thing is a FREAK!”“Someone should put it out of it’s misery.”,  “I don’t like it at all.”, “…Ready for the compost heap…” and “That f*cker is just straight up FUGLY!”

I, on the other hand, find this curious oddball of a carnivore outlandishly fascinating.

Yeah, I understand that everyone has their own tastes. That’s just one aspect that makes growing and breeding plants interesting and engaging. I truly enjoy the range and the diversity of botanical flavors out there. And yes, I do favor some forms more than others depending on my mood. I guess. One thing is for certain: I am looking forward to seeing how these little freaks play in the gene pool. I hope they play nicely with the others… 🙂

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Sarracenia "Smurf"
Sarracenia “Smurf” village

Sarracenia "Smurf"
Sarracenia “Smurf”

Sarracenia "Smurf"
Sarracenia “Smurf”

Sarracenia "Smurf"
Sarracenia “Smurf”

Sarracenia "Smurf"
Sarracenia “Smurf”

Sarracenia "Smurf"
Sarracenia “Smurf”

Sarracenia "Smurf"Sarracenia “Smurf”